Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to needle safety devices, and more particularly, to passively activated needle safety devices utilizing a floating ring.
Safety devices for preventing accidental needle sticks to patients, doctors, medical personnel, and the like are known. Such devices typically include some form of sheath or shield that is actuated to cover the end of the needle before and/or following injection. A device that requires the user to actively actuate the sheath or shield is generally disfavored because the user may forget to put the device in place to protect the needle, thereby creating unnecessary risk. The actuation of the sheath or shield is therefore preferably passive, i.e., actuation occurs automatically upon some operation of the syringe necessary for administering the injection. For example, depression of the plunger of the syringe or removal of the needle from the skin of a patient may cause the sheath or shield to be actuated.
However, such passive needle safety devices tend to be complex and therefore expensive to manufacture and difficult to assemble. It is desirable to provide a needle safety device with a simple design that still allows for reliable passive actuation.